Here&#39;s where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/11/5/14/9442b21b-01cf-4313-b5ad-4859c33d253f_fighting_fascism_s01e33_emergency_election_pod.mp3

No, you&#39;re NOT seeing double. It&#39;s four F&#39;s this week as we release a bonus episode of Fighting Fascism to talk about Tuesday night&#39;s historic victories for Democrats. How it confirms some or maybe even all of our priors, why everyone seems to talk like Zohran these days, and who is in good pole position to run in 2028. No guest this episode, but Smucker joins Matt and (a healthy) Aaron for all the punditry. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Emergency Election Episode / Fighting Fascism

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What we won this week, starting with Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and James Talarico in Texas – John Nichols comments on the candidates and the issues. He’s The Nation’s Executive Editor.Also: Why victories in the South are especially historic and transformational – Harold Meyerson explains. He’s editor at large of The American Prospect. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Our Historic Victories and How We Won / Start Making Sense

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/11/4/15/fe691192-f2d5-4551-928c-2f66df4c1178_ap_273_aja_woods_nation.mp3

Danny and Derek welcome intellectual historian A.J.A. Woods to the show to talk about the history of the &#34;cultural Marxism&#34; conspiracy theory. They discuss the Frankfurt School, Lyndon LaRouche&#39;s conspiracy theories, William S. Lind and the New Right, antisemitism, the Tea Party, Gamergate and the alt-right, the rise of anti-woke politics, and the use of &#34;cultural Marxism&#34; to justify cuts to public services.Grab your copy of A.J.A.’s book <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-cultural-marxism-conspiracy-why-the-right-blames-the-frankfurt-school-for-the-decline-of-the-west-a-j-a-woods/b98979285df1e101?ean=9781804296967" rel="nofollow">The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy</a>.Catch Danny in-person, along with friend of the pod Nando Vila, <a href="https://storiesla.com/events/6396520261106" rel="nofollow">at Stories Books &amp; Cafe in LA, Friday Nov 6th at 6:30 PM</a>. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

How the Right Invented “Cultural Marxism” w/ A.J.A. Woods / American Prestige

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We are officially almost at the end of the 2026 election. To reflect back on the crazy twists and turns and the major progressive successes of this cycle, we spoke with Usamah Andrabi, the communications director for Justice Democrats. Justice Democrats is best known as the org that recruited AOC in 2018, but they’re a lot more than that, and their story is, in a lot of ways, the story of the left’s resurgence over the last few years. (Note: We recorded this episode a few weeks ago. At first we were concerned about whether a conversation focused largely on how progressives have used primaries to make the Democratic Party better was appropriate for the day before the general election. But then corporate Dem Haley Stevens endorsed MAGA freak Mike Rogers in an attempt to ratfuck Democrats’ U.S. senate nominee in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed. And we remembered that yes, beating the far right absolutely requires us to defeat the corporate Dems who are far more interested in protecting their billionaire donors than defeating fascism. Let’s beat these MAGA freaks on Tuesday and then let’s clear out the rot in our party starting Wednesday.) Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

The Story of Justice Democrats w/ Usamah Andrabi / Fighting Fascism

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“Those who own the land get to be decision makers over what happens to the land. They get to decide whether they&#39;re gonna frack and how much they’re going to pollute.”Corporations have made fortunes by extracting from the land, while Black and Indigenous communities who have long understood land as something to steward have been systematically pushed off of it. But what if reparations could both repair the legacy of land theft and help solve the climate crisis? In this episode of A People’s Climate, host Shilpi Chhotray speaks with writer and organizer Brea Baker, author of “Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership.” They discuss how land theft and slavery are connected to our broken industrial food system and the environmental crisis we’re living with today. But Brea argues that reparations are more than just a moral reckoning with the past — especially when they go beyond financial compensation. What does that look like in practice? Returning property. Reversing eminent domain seizures. Repairing polluted places. Investing in communities with generations of knowledge about the ecosystem. And the payoff reaches far beyond those directly receiving reparations: more sustainable land use, less pollution, lower emissions, and a healthier environment for all.<h3>Key Topics </h3><ul><li>Reparations as a climate strategy: How repairing historical harms can also create healthier ecosystems.</li><li>Land theft and the extractive economy: How slavery, Indigenous dispossession, and land theft shaped our extractive economy.</li><li>Black Land Ownership: How heirs’ property, USDA discrimination, predatory debt, and government policy stripped Black families of land and wealth, including Baker’s own family history.</li><li>From plantations to Cancer Alley: How former plantation areas in Louisiana became sites of petrochemical development, linking the history of land ownership to pollution and public health.</li><li>Eminent domain: What it would mean to use the government’s power to seize polluting facilities for the public good, rather than using it to take land from Black communities.</li><li>Redefining reparations: Reparations can mean more than just financial compensation, including returning property, medical care, education, and more.</li><li>Maroonage and mutual aid: How Black communities have built networks of collective care, self-determination, and survival outside systems that failed them.</li><li>Reparations in practice: How cities and states are already implementing reparations, from direct payments to returning property to Black families.</li></ul><h3>Resources</h3><ul><li> </li><li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/rooted-the-american-legacy-of-land-theft-and-the-modern-movement-for-black-land-ownership-brea-baker/6c62f65a812a0bda?bkshp-astro=t&ean=9780593447376" rel="nofollow">Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership</a></li><li>Learn more about <a href="https://www.breabaker.com/" rel="nofollow">Brea Baker</a></li><li><a href="https://www.counterstream.org/a-peoples-climate/a-peoples-climate-leah-penniman/" rel="nofollow">All Revolution Is Based On Land with Leah Penniman</a> - from A People’s Climate Season 1</li></ul> <h3>Credits</h3>Presented by Counterstream Media and The NationPowered by Wildseeds FundHost: Shilpi ChhotrayExecutive Producer: Mindy Ramaker Engineer: Dennis MaxwellProject Manager: Asia Simms<h3> </h3><h3>Brea Baker</h3>Brea Baker is a writer and activist whose book, ROOTED: The American Legacy of Land Theft &amp; The Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership, details her family’s experiences across the South and makes another case for reparations as a racial, economic, and environmental justice policy. As a sixth generation Black landowner with deep ties to North Carolina, Brea writes about and organizes with Black Southerners whether with Black Farmers’ Market, Cypress Fund, the BLIS Collective, and many other political homes. Her next book, a biography of Jazz Age artist and nightclub owner Ada “Bricktop” Smith, will be published in 2027. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Reparations as a Climate Solution w/ Brea Baker / A People's Climate

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/30/13/ebf4656c-ec18-4e97-8090-ddc0791fa84f_ap_news_170_261029_nation.mp3

Danny and Derek considered helping Flavio Bolsonaro mount a political comeback here in the States, but cut ties on the advice of Danny&#39;s psychic. In this week’s news: Israel&#39;s election leaves Netanyahu without a parliamentary majority (1:41); Lula wins Brazil&#39;s presidential runoff and Flávio Bolsonaro flees Brazil for the United States after his defeat (8:53); Serbia&#39;s student-led opposition topples the ruling party (14:33); the United States and Gulf states pursue a new peace initiative with Iran as the United States prepares for another military campaign after the midterms (18:35); a Sudanese military drone strike kills more than 100 people in Nyala (23:55); Turkey hosts talks between Libya&#39;s rival governments looking toward reunification (26:01); in the Russia-Ukraine war, Zelenskyy announces peace talks in Abu Dhabi for November (28:50), the two countries observe a local ceasefire near Oleshky to allow humanitarian aid (29:56), and the Trump administration considers major sanctions relief for Russia (32:21); Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returns to the country (34:50); and apparent cyberattacks disrupt refrigeration systems at U.S. military bases (37:41).<a href="https://americanprestigepod.com/episodes/2798617818" rel="nofollow">Listen to our full special</a> on the election in Brazil with Andre Pagliarini.Don&#39;t forget to subscribe to <a href="https://welcometothecrusades.com/" rel="nofollow">⁠Welcome to the Crusades: The Second Crusade⁠</a>!<a href="https://youtube.com/live/QynTbxvTYB0?feature=share" rel="nofollow">Watch last night’s livestream</a>. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Lula Wins Fourth Term, Serbian Students Defeat Ruling Party, US Prepares to Escalate Iran War / American Prestige

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/28/17/fc9690e2-800e-4370-9625-068b4509a681_352_jason_koebler_audio.mp3

No one is comfortable with police surveillance in the US, which is why there’s a bipartisan backlash to Flock cameras. Jason Koebler joins Paris Marx to discuss the rise of Flock, how their cameras are being pitched by right-wing politicians and police agencies, and how they’re being used to stalk residents from coast to coast.Jason Koebler is a co-founder of 404 Media and co-host of the 404 Media Podcast. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Why Communities Want to Stop Flock Cameras w/ Jason Koebler / Tech Won't Save Us

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/28/13/93714298-820e-4f3b-80ac-5d9373f4d41a_ap_272_medieval_halloween_nation.mp3

Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters, co-hosts of the<a href="https://www.patreon.com/wnsdpod" rel="nofollow"> We’re Not So Different</a> podcast and our collaborators on <a href="https://welcometothecrusades.com/" rel="nofollow">Welcome to the Crusades</a> (Season 2 out now!) are on the show to help tell the story of Halloween. They explore Halloween&#39;s Christian (and possibly pagan) origins, medieval beliefs about death and purgatory, ghosts and the Protestant Reformation, the origins of costumes and jack-o&#39;-lanterns, its commercialization and global spread, and the rise of sexy Halloween costumes.Don&#39;t forget to subscribe to <a href="https://welcometothecrusades.com/" rel="nofollow">⁠Welcome to the Crusades: The Second Crusade⁠</a>! Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Halloween Origins w/ Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters / American Prestige

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/28/5/a4db88e8-a2fc-4055-84f2-a93cd19af474_2026-10-28.mp3

Trump&#39;s efforts to interfere with voting, and with certification of the results, have not been successful. Rick Hasen of the UCLA Law School says “We&#39;re doing well on election protection”: the courts have been strong, the blue states have been a bulwark, and—most important—early voting has been big. Rick is also director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project and editor of the Election Law Blog.Also: If the election goes roughly as the polls say it will, next Tuesday will mark the beginning of the end of the Trump era. Harold Meyerson comments, focusing on getting to 51 in the Senate—or, better yet, 52. Harold is editor-at-large of The American Prospect. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Defeating Trump’s Attacks on Voting, plus the Coming End of the Trump Era / Start Making Sense

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We haven’t had any political candidates on Fighting Fascism yet. But we decided to make an exception for Jane Kim, who is running to be the next insurance commissioner of California. Part of that exception is because Jane is an old friend. But part of it is because the office she’s running for touches on such interesting and important issues. We don’t think often about insurance, particularly property and casualty insurance. But it’s the foundation for so much of our economic world. And right now it’s not working. Well, it’s actually working great for the massive corporations raking in billions in profits while denying and underpaying claims and saddling us with massive climate risks. But Jane believes a better way is possible. And we think you will, too, after listening to our conversation. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Can Jane Kim Fix Insurance? w/ Jane Kim / Fighting Fascism

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/23/16/182c77dd-90f3-4953-a375-bbe936c754a7_apc_-_s2_-_ep_4_-_kamau_franklin_-_final.mp3

“No one has a right to tell you how to organize, to free yourself, and to liberate yourself.”The fight over Cop City was never just about a police training center. In Atlanta, a multiracial, multigenerational movement brought together environmental justice, land conservation, police abolition, and grassroots organizing to challenge the destruction of a forest and expansion of police power.In this episode of A People’s Climate, Shilpi Chhotray talks with organizer Kamau Franklin about the strategies behind the Stop Cop City movement—and the lessons it offers for fights still to come. Although the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center was ultimately built, the movement showed how organizers can build power across ideologies, work through decentralized networks, shape the public narrative, and connect struggles that are often treated as separate.Franklin and Shilpi also discuss the criminalization of protesters, including the killing of forest defender Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán. They examine what it means to organize under state repression and ultimately, what the Stop Cop City movement can teach those fighting for justice.Key Topics<ul><li>Climate &amp; the forest: Why protecting Atlanta’s South River Forest was an environmental justice fight</li><li>Movement tactics: The organizing strategies behind Stop Cop City, from town halls and petition drives to direct action, civil disobedience, and decentralized organizing.</li><li>Defining violence: Why organizers challenged the idea that property destruction is equivalent to violence—and who gets to define legitimate protest.</li><li>Organizing across differences: How a decentralized movement brought together people with different ideologies, tactics, and political traditions.</li><li>The power of narrative: How organizers turned “Cop City” into a powerful frame and pushed back against efforts to portray protesters as outsiders or extremists.</li><li>Criminalizing dissent: The killing of forest defender Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán and the sweeping RICO charges brought against protesters.</li><li>Building power under repression: How movements can organize when the state is working to divide, intimidate, and silence them.</li><li>Lessons for future fights: What Stop Cop City can teach organizers fighting for climate, racial, and environmental justice beyond Atlanta.</li></ul><h3>Resources</h3><ul><li><a href="https://www.communitymovementbuilders.org/" rel="nofollow">Community Movement Builders</a></li><li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/no-cop-city-no-cop-world-lessons-from-the-movement-kamau-franklin/83194cb7b26febe2?bkshp-astro=t&ean=9798888903742" rel="nofollow">No Cop City, No Cop World: Lessons from the Movement</a> Edited by Micah Herskind Mariah Parker, and Kamau Franklin </li></ul> <h3>Credits</h3>Presented by Counterstream Media and The NationPowered by Wildseeds FundHost: Shilpi ChhotrayExecutive Producer: Mindy Ramaker Engineer: Ameeta GanatraProject Manager: Asia Simms <h3>Kamau Franklin </h3>Kamau Franklin (he/him) is the founder of Community Movement Builders. He’s been a dedicated community organizer for over thirty years. For 18 years, Kamau was a leading member of a national grassroots organization dedicated to the ideas of self-determination and the teachings of Malcolm X. He’s spearheaded organizing work in areas, including youth organizing, police misconduct, and developing sustainable urban communities. Kamau has coordinated community cop-watch programs, liberation schools for youth, electoral and policy campaigns, large-scale community gardens, organizing collectives and alternatives to incarceration programs. Kamau was an attorney for ten years in New York with his own practice in criminal, civil rights and transactional law. He now lives in Atlanta with his two children. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Building Power Against the State with Kamau Franklin / A People's Climate

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/23/13/0d61efde-2fbd-419a-bc7f-c31c8ca13f6f_ap_news_261022_nation.mp3

Neera Tanden has not yet posted a tirade about AP, and we’re starting to take it personally. In this week’s news: the U.S. and Israel prepare for renewed strikes against Iran after the midterms (1:07); an Ansar Allah/Houthi missile strike kills at least 73 people at a military camp in Yemen, while continued attacks force Saudi Arabia to cancel a major investment conference and Pakistan, Britain, Egypt, and France offer defensive support to the kingdom (7:52); Israeli settlers assault an American journalist and attack European diplomats, while Israeli forces detain dozens of volunteers in the West Bank (15:05); North Korea announces the resumption of anti-South Korean loudspeaker broadcasts amid unverified rumors that Kim Jong Un has died (19:12); drone strikes kill hundreds in Sudan and the disputed Abyei region (22:28); Ethiopia establishes a new interim administration in Tigray (25:02); the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to spread (27:01); Ukraine resumes attacks on Russian oil refineries, angering Trump (29:33); Steve Witkoff meets with Zelenskyy and Putin as the U.S. restores intelligence support for Ukraine (30:41); Russia signals a possible return to peace talks (32:28); massive protests over the high cost of living sweep France (37:30); and Haitian armed groups abduct four Salvadoran soldiers, prompting El Salvador to threaten military action (40:58). Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

U.S. and Israel Plan Iran Strikes, Ansar Allah Hits Saudi Arabia, Mass Protests Sweep France / American Prestige

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/22/13/9bfb2f57-26df-47ed-b98d-689ecc7a63af_351_ingrid_burrington.mp3

Hyperscale data centers are not an inevitable infrastructure, but a product of capitalist financialization pushing us further from a livable future. Ingrid Burrington interviews Paris Marx about his new book Hyperscale, discussing the history behind the rise of hyperscale data centers and how companies are obscuring their true social and environmental costs to maximize profits before the overinflated bubble bursts.Ingrid Burrington is the author of Networks of New York and host of RIP Corp. She’s been writing about internet infrastructure for over a decade, including an 18-story online series for The Atlantic in 2015. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Too Much Computer: Ingrid Burrington discusses Hyperscale with Paris Marx / Tech Won't Save Us

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/21/12/76bacabf-c352-4479-83c3-2c33267ad0b7_p_271_quinn_slobodian_and_ben_tarnoff_nation_b.mp3

It’s Tech Day here at AP, so Danny and Derek speak with Quinn Slobodian, professor of international history at Boston University, and writer Ben Tarnoff, co-authors of <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/muskism-a-guide-for-the-perplexed-ben-tarnoff/3d177fb9349a79ff?ean=9780063484320" rel="nofollow">Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed</a>, about Elon Musk&#39;s role in contemporary capitalism. They discuss Fordism and Muskism; the influence of apartheid South Africa on Musk&#39;s approach to production; his vision of AI and human-machine integration; the political significance of his acquisition of Twitter; DOGE&#39;s expansion of government data collection and immigration enforcement; and the potential for regulating or replacing Big Tech. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Elon Musk and the Future of Capitalism w/ Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff / American Prestige

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/21/1/104d204e-2e87-45cb-8019-c30265c8ca35_2026-10-21.mp3

Republicans are spending hundreds of millions on the midterms, but their money hasn’t been able to counter the crisis of affordability, the disgust with Trump’s corruption, and the quality of many of the Democratic candidates. Harold Meyerson comments – he’s editor at large of The American Prospect.Also: Katha Pollit argues that the gang rape at a Cornell fraternity party could have been stopped--if someone had bothered to intervene. But no one did. “Where were the good guys?” She asks. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Massive GOP Spending Hasn’t Slowed the Coming Blue Wave; plus The Cornell Rape Case / Start Making Sense

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/19/15/993d6b18-2c6f-4953-8d0f-792c2aeec70e_6_10_18_fighting_fascism_s01e30_isabella_weber.mp3

Dr. Isabella Weber’s new book is called Anti-Fascist Economics. As a native of Nuremberg, where the Nazis staged their famous mass rallies, there’s another term she also uses: the economics of “never again.”We think this book is such an important intervention in the world right now. So we were thrilled to have Isabella on the show to discuss why the rise of today&#39;s authoritarian movements is not an accident, but is rooted in an economic order that has treated regular people as expendable while elevating markets above democratic choice.In the face of rising costs, what if we didn’t take the primacy of corporate profits and market fundamentalism as a given? What if, instead, we said, “Let’s do something about this! Let’s take on the corporate profiteering and stabilize the price of essential goods and actually use government to help people so they don’t elect a bunch of fucking fascists!”If you care about democracy, you should read Isabella’s book. And you should definitely check out this episode. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Anti-Fascist Economics w/ Isabella Weber / Fighting Fascism

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/16/14/4407163b-c4ad-46c4-82c0-e07121ecd8ad_apc_-_s2_-_ep_3_-_john_beard_-_final.mp3

“This is about life. And this extractive industry is not a giver of life, it is a taker of life.”On March 23, 2026, a massive explosion tore through the Valero refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, shaking homes and sending a plume of smoke over a community that has lived with oil and petrochemical pollution for generations. In this episode of A People’s Climate, host Shilpi Chhotray talks with John Beard Jr., a former refinery worker who spent 38 years inside the industry, about what happens when global oil decisions become local realities.From U.S. policy toward Venezuelan oil to the expansion of petrochemical production and the world&#39;s demand for plastics, Beard connects the decisions made far from Port Arthur to the people who pay the price close to home. They explore who benefits from the fossil fuel economy, who bears its risks, and what it would take to build a transition that doesn&#39;t leave communities to pay for it with their health and their lives.<h3>Key Topics</h3><ul><li>Global oil, local consequences: How decisions about oil, foreign policy, and energy affect communities right here in the United States.</li><li>The price of fossil fuels: Why communities like Port Arthur bear the pollution, health risks, and industrial disasters that make fossil fuel profits possible.</li><li>The Valero explosion: What the March 2026 refinery explosion revealed about the risks fence-line communities live with every day.</li><li>Oil &amp; petrochemicals: How Gulf Coast communities became sacrifice zones for refining, plastics, and global fossil fuel demand.</li><li>Who benefits?: The disconnect between the industry&#39;s promise of jobs and prosperity and the economic realities facing Port Arthur residents.</li><li>A just transition: What it means to move away from fossil fuels while repairing the damage already done and protecting workers and communities.</li><li>Building power: Why communities need political power to challenge an industry whose reach extends from local government to global geopolitics.</li></ul><h3>Resources</h3><ul><li><a href="https://www.pa-can.com/" rel="nofollow">Port Arthur Community Action Network</a></li><li><a href="https://www.counterstream.org/a-peoples-climate/a-peoples-climate-diane-wilson/" rel="nofollow">A People’s Climate Episode: An Unreasonable Woman with Diane Wilson</a> - Another Texan’s historic win against the petrochemical industry</li><li>U.S. Gulf South Climate and Environmental Justice organizations:</li><li><a href="http://betterbrazoria.org" rel="nofollow">Better Brazoria: Clean Air &amp; Water</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.cheektexascommunityassociation.org/" rel="nofollow">Cheek Texas Community Association</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.climateconversationbc.org/" rel="nofollow">Climate Conversation Brazoria County</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.concernedcitizensofstjohn.org/" rel="nofollow">Concerned Citizens of St. John Parish</a></li><li><a href="https://betterbayou.net/" rel="nofollow">For a Better Bayou</a></li><li><a href="https://www.freeporthaven.org/" rel="nofollow">Freeport Haven Project for Environmental Justice</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/houstonclimatemovement/" rel="nofollow">Houston Climate Movement</a></li><li><a href="https://meannow.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow">Mossville Environmental Action Now (MEAN)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.permiangulfcoastcoalition.org/" rel="nofollow">Permian Gulf Coast Coalition</a></li><li><a href="https://risestjames.org/" rel="nofollow">RISE St. James</a> </li><li><a href="https://safe4communities.org/" rel="nofollow">S.A.F.E. Communities</a></li><li><a href="https://sanantoniobaywaterkeeper.org/" rel="nofollow">San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper</a></li><li><a href="https://secpghca.org/" rel="nofollow">South End Charlton-Pollard Greater Historic Community Association</a></li><li><a href="https://southernsectorrising.org/" rel="nofollow">Southern Sector Rising</a></li><li><a href="https://www.tejasbarrios.org/" rel="nofollow">t.e.j.a.s. (Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.vesselprojectoflouisiana.org/" rel="nofollow">The Vessel Project of Louisiana</a></li></ul><h3>Credits</h3>Presented by Counterstream Media and The NationPowered by Wildseeds FundHost: Shilpi ChhotrayExecutive Producer: Mindy Ramaker Engineer: Ameeta GanatraProject Manager: Asia Simms<h3>John Beard, Jr.</h3>John Beard, Jr. is the Founder and CEO of the Port Arthur Community Action Network. After working in the oil industry for 38 years, Beard became a community advocate in his hometown of Port Arthur, Texas, dedicated to holding the industry accountable. He founded the Port Arthur Community Action Network to fight for health and safety protections in an area dense with refineries, export terminals, and petrochemical plants. Over the past year, Beard has emerged as a national and global environmental justice leader, serving as a civil society delegate to the U.N. Plastic Treaty negotiations, the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, and the Conference of Parties negotiations on climate change. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Fighting for Our Lives in Fossil Fuel Country w/ John Beard Jr. / A People's Climate

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/16/14/afb4a193-7648-49cc-9830-f55eb85b811a_ap_news_168_261016_nation.mp3

Metallica says they stay out of politics, so Danny and Derek are reassessing their approach to the show. In this week’s news: Navi Pillay wins the Nobel Peace Prize, angering Trump (3:51); Ansar Allah strikes Saudi airports and oil facilities (7:58) while fighting continues on multiple fronts in Yemen (11:35); attacks on commercial ships escalate near the Strait of Hormuz (13:45), and the U.S. prepares a new bombing campaign against Iran (15:59); Israeli forces kill at least eight people in Gaza on the first anniversary of the “ceasefire” as the Palestinian Authority postpones elections until at least September 2027 (19:12); in southern Lebanon, Israeli forces demolish dozens of towns and villages (22:22); China’s trade surplus grows at a record pace (24:04); Egyptian drone strikes kill at least 72 gold miners in Sudan (25:43); Ethiopian forces advance toward the Eritrean border (28:20); former Congolese president Joseph Kabila forms a new rebel coalition with M23 (31:38) as the country’s Ebola outbreak surpasses 9,000 confirmed cases (33:27); Trump suspends sanctions on Russian diesel exports and clashes with Zelensky (34:24); Trump declares a Russia-Ukraine energy ceasefire that fails to take hold as Ukraine reports several days without Western intelligence on Russian airstrikes (37:40); Ukrainian forces report temporary restrictions on Starlink service (38:52); and the U.S. seeks control of frozen Russian assets held in Europe (43:07).Don’t forget to pre-order <a href="https://welcometothecrusades.com/" rel="nofollow">Welcome to the Crusades: The Second Crusade</a> with promo code CRUSADES15 for 15% off. Offer is valid through October 27!More of Danny’s work at <a href="https://imperialistrealism.substack.com/" rel="nofollow">Imperialist Realism</a>.More of Derek’s work at <a href="https://fx.substack.com/" rel="nofollow">Foreign Exchanges</a>.Catch a replay of <a href="https://youtube.com/live/UCxV0u9gqCI?feature=share" rel="nofollow">last night’s livestream</a>. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Ethiopian Forces Near Eritrea, Israel Demolishes Southern Lebanon Towns, Two Commercial Ships Attacked Near Hormuz / American Prestige

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/14/14/daaa26a8-51bf-41ea-a26e-69508c04ff82_350_marth_dark_aud_ad.mp3

Data centers are being approved without proper oversight into their broader impacts, but there are organizations pushing back. Martha Dark joins Paris Marx to discuss her work at Foxglove and how legal challenges against data centers are imposing stronger rules and reframing false narratives from policymakers and Big Tech.Martha Dark is co-executive director of Foxglove. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Taking Data Centers to Court w/ Martha Dark / Tech Won't Save Us

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/14/12/7476f77d-3590-42a8-b7a8-8ed3e9672f22_ap_270_stuard_schrader_nation.mp3

Danny and Derek speak with historian Stuart Schrader about the history and political power of police unions in the US. They discuss the rise of police unions in the 1960s, their relationship with organized labor, resistance to the civil rights movement and affirmative action, the role of race in policing, bipartisan support for policing and the 1990s crime bills, the growing political influence of the Border Patrol union, and the future of police reform and abolition.Get your copy of Stuart’s book <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/blue-power-how-police-organized-to-protect-and-serve-themselves-stuart-schrader/19ef20a515ab81ab?ean=9781541608030" rel="nofollow">Blue Power: How Police Organize to Protect and Serve Themselves</a>. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

The Political Power of Police Unions w/ Stuart Schrader / American Prestige

Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the week in news. Hosted by Jon Wiener and presented by The Nation Magazine.